Method of making wheels



Jmz, 1937. H. HORN 2,069,068

METHOD OF MAKING WHEELS Filed March 9, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. HHPE) J. HORN BY f v rie ATTORNEY.

Jan. 26', 1937. H. J. HORN METHOD OF MAKING WHEELS Filed March 9, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

HARE) J HOE/V ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 26, 1937 METHOD OF MAKING WHEELS tion of Michigan Application March 9,

10 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of vehicle wheels and particularly to a method of manufacturing metallic vehicle wheel bodies.

The object of the invention is to provide an 5 economical method of forming metallic vehicle Wheel bodies and more specifically to provide a method of forming a plurality of such wheel bodies from a single blank.

Broadly, the invention consists in the provision 10 of a circular, partially formed blank, separating this blank circumferentially in a manner to form a pair of wheel bodies, each having a plurality of spaced spoke portions, and then further forming each of the resulting units to obtain the desired final shape. In this manner a large portion of the various operations are performed upon the original unit which eventually is divided into two wheel bodies, thus materially reducing the cost of the finished articles.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is an edge view of the strip of metal or blank employed,

Fig. 2 is an end View of the ring first formed from the blank,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the ring shown in Fig. 2 after it has been further partially 30 formed,

Fig. 4 is a sectional View of the circular member shown in Fig. 3 with the line of separation indicated thereon, v

Fig. 5 is a side View of one of the units after 35 the separation as indicated in Fig. 4 has taken place,

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the unit shown in Fig. 5 after it has been further formed to obtain the desired shape,

Fig. '7 is a sectional View taken substantially on the line l'! of Fig. 6,

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of a metallic vehicle wheel embodying the Wheel body formed by the present method, and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View of the wheel shown in Fig. 8.

Referring noW to the drawings, reference numeral l indicates a strip of metal which is cut to the correct length and width and coiled by any suitable means into a circular ring H and the free ends thereof welded or otherwise secured together as at l2. The ring H is then rolled or otherwise suitably Worked to produce the shape shown in Fig. 3. Preferably this is accomplished by enlarging the circumference of the midportion 1936, Serial No. 67,898

thereof, indicated at l3, and by reducing the circumference of the sides thereof, as indicated at Hi. When thus formed, the ring has sloping side Walls i4 provided with central openings 86. If desired, the plain ring H or the shaped blank shown in Fig. 3 may be preformed by suitable forging methods.

In dividing the blank shown in Fig. 3 to provide two separate wheel bodies, it is circumferentially separated about the peripheral or midportion I3 along a substantially serpentine path, as shown at H (Fig. 4), as by shearing Without the removal of any metal, by punching spaced openings and then shearing between such openings or by a punching operation to form a continuous slot. The straight shearing is preferred. In this manner a pair of identical wheel body portions 2i and 22 are produced which include the peripheral spoke portions 98 and it.

Each of the wheel bodies 2! and 22 is next further formed by any suitable means such as by punches and dies or by bending and swaging to obtain any desired final shape. As here shown (Figs. 6 and '7) the final shape is produced by bending the spoke portions i8 and I9 radially and outwardly to provide radially extending spokes having axially extending rim seats 23 at their outer extremities. The side portions I4 are bent inwardly to form radial bolting on flanges [6a and axially inclined naves 16a.

The preferred manner of assembling the wheel bodies in a completed wheel is shown in Figs. 8 and 9. As there shown wheel body 22 is provided with suitable openings in the axially extending rim seats 23 at the outer ends of spokes IQ for the reception of rivets 25 by means of which a conventional form of rim 24 is permanently attached to the wheel body. The bolting on flange I 6a is also provided with a series of stud bolt receiving openings about the central hub opening I6.

The wheel body 22 is adapted to be detachably secured to a radial flange 28 of a wheel hub 29 by means of the stud bolts 21 and clamping nut assemblies 3! in a conventional manner. The stud bolts 2'! are rigidly mounted in hub flange 28 and the wheel body 22 is adapted to be mounted on the hub With studs 2? projecting through the openings in bolting on flange Mia. The wheel body is detachably locked in this position by the clamping nuts 35. Stud bolts 27 may also serve to secure a brake drum 32 to hub 29 as shown in Fig. 9.

It will thus be seen that a method of manufacturing metallic vehicle wheel bodies has been provided whereby the preliminary forming opera tions are performed upon a single unit which in turn is divided into a plurality of units, thus materially reducing the total cost of manufacture. Various modifications in the method as herein described will be obvious to those skilled in the art, but it is to be understood that the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

1. In the manufacture of wheels, the method of making wheel bodies which comprises providing a metal ring, deforming the ring to produce a symmetrical channel section, and severing the ring circumferentially between its edges along a serpentine line to produce a pair of wheel bodies each having spaced peripheral spoke portions.

2. In the manufacture of wheels, the method of making wheel bodies which comprises providing a metal ring, deforming the ring to produce an axially extending central annular zone and substantially radially extending annular side portions, severing the ring in said central annular zone along a serpentine line to produce a pair of wheel bodies each having spaced axially extending spoke members at its periphery, and thereafter deforming the spoke members to produce substantially radially extending spokes having axially extending rim seats at their outer extremities.

3. In the manufacture of wheels, the method of making wheel bodies which comprises providing a metal ring, severing the ring intermediate its edges along a serpentine line to produce a pair of. wheel bodies each having spaced axially extending spoke portions, and thereafter deforming said spoke portions to produce substantially radially extending spokes terminating at their outer extremities in axially extending rim seats.

4. In the manufacture of wheels, the method of making wheel bodies which comprises providing a metal ring, deforming the ring to produce an axially extending central annular zone and substantially radially extending annular side portions, severing the ring circumferentially in said central annular zone to produce a pair of identical wheel bodies, each having an axially extending rim seat and a substantially radially extending bolting on flange portion.

5. In the manufacture of metallic vehicle wheels, the step which comprises circumferentially severing a preformed ring to provide a plurality of wheel bodies, each having a plurality of spaced spoke portions.

6. The method of. manufacturing vehicle wheel bodies which comprises forming a metal blank into a ring, severing said ring circumferentially in a manner to provide a plurality of wheel bodies, each having a plurality of spaced spoke portions.

'7. The method of manufacturing vehicle wheel bodies which comprises forming a flat metal blank into a ring, securing the ends thereof together, working the metal of said ring to provide an axially extending peripheral portion and inwardly extending side portions, severing said ring circumferentially along said peripheral portion to provide a plurality of wheel bodies each having similar spaced spoke portions, and further working the metal of said wheel bodies to produce the desired shape.

8. The method of manufacturing wheel bodies which comprises first forming a ring of metal, bending each side of the periphery thereof inwardly to form wheel naves having central hub openings therein, separating said ring about the periphery thereof to form a pair of wheel bodies, each having a plurality of spoke portions, and further bending said wheel bodies, including said naves and spoke portions, to obtain the desired final shape.

9. The method of manufacturing vehicle wheel bodies which comprises forming a ring of metal, working said metal to both enlarge the circumference of the mid-portion of the periphery and to reduce the diameter of the sides thereof, circumferentially separating said ring into two identical parts, and further forming said separated parts to adapt them for assembly in a wheel.

10. The method of manufacturing metallic vehicle wheel bodies which comprises providing a metal ring of greater diameter at its mid-portion than at its sides, and circumferentially separating said ring member along said mid-portion in a manner to form a pair of wheel bodies, each having a plurality of spaced spoke portions.

HARRY J. HORN. 

